The Opposition Leader has been accused by a major newspaper of "pulling up the drawbridge'' to Scottish adventurers coming to Australia.

"Australia has long offered a welcoming haven for gregarious and adventurous Scots seeking their fortune or just a bit of sun. But it appears conservative politicians down under are now pulling up the drawbridge," said an article in The Scotsman at the weekend.

Last week Mr Abbott took aim at Mr McTernan and his broad accent.

"One thing which we never do in the Coalition is import political techniques and political personnel from other countries. We just don't believe in imported politics," Mr Abbott told reporters in what Liberal sources confirmed was a reference to Mr McTernan, the Prime Minister's communications director.

"We believe in a strong, home-grown policy. We believe in strong local candidates. That's what you'll always see from the Coalition under my leadership. We will always speak with a strong Australian accent."

The comments puzzled some back home.

"Scotland on Sunday contacted Abbott's office to ask why Scots or other non-Australians were no longer welcome to work in the Australian political process," said the newspaper.

"However, the answer appears to lie in Abbott's particular issues with McTernan who, The Australian reported, has become controversial within Canberra's political village."

And the journalist found Scottish-Australians who were not impressed by Mr Abbott's accent discrimination.

"Last night Trevor MacLaurin of the Australian Scottish Heritage Association said Abbot needed reminding that settlers, many of Scottish ancestry, had helped build Australia," said the newspaper.

"I think that Mr Abbot must have forgotten that he himself was born in London, UK, and his arch-rival Julia Gillard was born in Barry near Cardiff, Wales," he said.

"If he is trying to have a whinge about outsiders coming in influencing Australian politics he's probably also forgotten that, for the last 200 years, the country itself has been majorly built by outsiders and people that have come from many other countries to settle here."

Mr McTernan, who probably has been delighted by the notoriety across two hemispheres, again would only respond, `"Nae comment."

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